Railroad-spike.



H. E. ZAGHARIAS.

RAILROAD SPIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1912.

1,080,189. Patented Dec. 2, 19 3.

Z acfi orimr.

HARRISON E. ZACI-IARIAS, OF HUMBERT, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-SPIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Application filed August 14, 1912. Serial N 0. 715,059.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON E. ZACHA- RIAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Humbert, in the county of Somerset and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad- Spikes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad spikes, the object in view being to provide an exceedingly strong and durable spike, which may be driven into a wooden tie, without liability of bending or injuring the same, and which will become firmly embedded in the wood, so as to prevent any undue or accidental loosening of the spike, and which, at the same time, may be readily withdrawn from the tie by the use of a claw bar.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the spike. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 4 is a cross section through the body of the spike.

The body 1 of the spike is somewhat wedge-shaped in cross section, the opposite faces 2 and 3 thereof being disposed at a slight angle to each other, and converging toward the front face 4 of the spike, or that face which abuts against the base flange of the rail, in connection with which the spike is used. The opposite or rear face 5 of the spike is considerably wider than the inner or front face thereof, as clearly shown in the drawings, and is also made gradually tapering and rounded from the head toward the point, as shown in the side elevation, so that the spike is crowded toward the rail in the operation of driving the same into a wooden tie. In other words, the face 5 being wider than the face 4, and also being made tapering and slightly rounded, the said face 5 obtains a greater purchase on the wood in the driving operation, while the inner and relatively narrow face is adapted to compress the wood in front of it, as the spike is driven home.

The head 6 of the spike is beveled on its under face, as shown at 7 where it rests against the flange of the rail, and also projects beyond the opposite or rear face 5 of the spike, as shown, thereby leaving oppositely projecting shoulders 8.

In addition to the shoulders 8, the spike is provided with a rear shoulder 9, ofiset below the opposite shoulders 8, as shown, said shoulder 9 being adapted to compress the wood in a downward direction, and thereby forming a firm foundation which, in connection with the shoulder 9, will prevent the head of the spike from rocking away from the rail, when stress is brought to bear on the latter, as on curves in railways.

At its lower extremity, the spike is broadened, adjacent to the driving point, thereby forming a cutting edge 10 and sloping and slightly concaved shoulders 11, at opposite sides of and just above the driving point. This enables the advance end of the spike to cut its way into the tie, and after the spike is in its final position, the wood will shrink over and above the sloping shoulders 11, and securely anchor the spike in place. On account of the shape of the point, however, the spike as a whole may be withdrawn when necessary, by the useof the ordinary claw bar employed for this purpose.

What is claimed is:

A railroad spike, comprising a body, and a head, the body having a substantially straight front face extending from the head to the point, the opposite sides of the body rounding and taperin toward the front face and forming therewith a chisel shaped entering edge, the entering edge of the body being of greater width than any other portion of the body, and the side faces of the spike being tapered from the expanded entering edge upwardly forming outwardly sloping concaved shoulders immediately back of the entering edge.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRISON E. ZACHARIAS.

Witnesses:

SELDEN K. MGALPINE, JAMES G. BLOSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

